Page 16 of Her Bully Alpha (Honeycomb Valley Alphas #1)

There was a knock on my door, and I glanced up to see Joshua standing in the doorway. He offered a soft smile, and I offered one in return. He hadn't stopped by my office as often as he used to, and I hadn't really seen him around the office. I was pretty sure I heard he had taken a long vacation.

"Hey, you busy?"

I shook my head and leaned back in my chair. "I was just finishing up signing some papers. What's up?"

"I was just thinking to stop in. I've been out of the office for a while. Did you miss me?" he asked in a teasing voice.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh yes, I missed you so very much."

He chuckled as he sat down across my desk. "I know you're being sarcastic, but I bet you did."

I chuckled. "Where were you anyway? You were gone for like two weeks."

He pushed off the door and walked further into my office, sitting in my fluffy chair across my desk. "I took some time off. Spent time with my family. It was nice. What have you been up to?"

I thought of the other day and how free I felt when I rode Jay. I had never felt so loved and cared for like I had with him. Jay had spoken so honestly and lovingly that I felt safe. I felt I could just trust him, and it scared me a little.

"Work and getting to know Jay." I said, "We visited my brother and have been figuring out a routine at the house."

Joshua frowned at me. "Do you think you guys will ever…I don't know, separate?"

I had questioned it. The entire reason we were together was to breed. And I figured we would never sleep together, and yet we have. I never thought we would get along, and somehow we did. I didn't know what the future held. If it came up, would I be able to just step away so easily?

"I don't know. We've been getting along." There was still a lot we had to figure out.

Joshua shrugged. "I don't know, he seems a little…grumpy."

I couldn't help but smirk. Jay was grumpy, but he was still kind. I didn't think that Joshua was ever going to see that side, though.

"Well, I have an important phone call I need to get to. Also, Jill dropped off some muffins. There in the kitchen." Joshua pulled himself out of my chair and moved towards the door.

A muffin sounded wonderful. My stomach had been bothering me every once in a while, but I was pretty sure it was settled now.

"Thanks."

I looked at my papers and figured I could take a break for a muffin. I stung out of my chair and headed down the hallway towards the kitchen.

I cringed as I walked into the kitchen, feeling my stomach twist violently. I could smell fresh muffins and glanced at them sitting on the counter. I quickly pinched my nose and felt vomit build in the back of my throat.

I quickly moved, slowly taking a deep breath in as I moved out of the kitchen and back into the hallway. The smell was still lingering, but my stomach calmed enough to hold down the coffee I had earlier.

I had figured it was the magic and the constant knowing of it now. I could feel it simmering just beneath my skin, and I figured the change was taking its toll on my body. I wondered if maybe Katie would know a little more about that. If my body would grow accustomed to the change and eventually feel more normal again.

I decided against having any food and returned to my office. I grabbed my phone, deciding to check to see if Jay responded to the message I sent him earlier.

I stared at my phone and then noticed the date. I quickly started to calculate and noticed that my period should be here. I actually should have started it a few days ago.

I placed my hand on my stomach and thought of the random nausea that seemed to haunt me all the time now. The way any scent made me feel sick, even lighting candles at the house upset my stomach.

"Could I?" I questioned, knowing there was a chance. We had sex twice, and neither time had we used protection. I hadn't even thought about it or thought about the aftermath that came.

I pulled a hand up, biting onto the tip of my thumbnail. If I was pregnant, this would change so much. We had just gotten our bearings and started to understand each other.

I tried to focus on work, but I couldn't. My mind was a mess, and I decided to leave work early. I made my way to a small grocery store at the corner of the block. I made my way inside, went straight to the medication aisle, and grabbed myself a pregnancy test. After purchasing it, I made my way to the bathroom.

I stared at the test as I sat on the toilet, my legs bouncing nervously. I bit my cheek as I ripped the box open and pulled the test free.

I leaned over, peed on the test, and set it down on the box as I cleaned myself up. I walked out, taking the test onto the counter, and I cleaned my hands. I felt my stomach twist up violently, nervous for the answer.

I stared at the counter, waiting for the minutes to click by. I could taste blood, knowing I was biting too hard on my cheek. I made it bleed.

I looked at the test and felt my eyes widen.

Pregnant.

My stomach twisted up, and I turned, rushing back into the toilet and emptying my entire stomach into it.

I left ten minutes later. I drove home, not sure how I felt about this. How was Jay going to react? This is what he wanted, was it? Me pregnant with his child. Wasn't this going to change everything between us, too? That was the entire point of us being together. It's what the Council wanted.

I arrived home and headed inside. I found Jay sitting on the phone in the living room. He noticed me and gave me a smile.

"Hey, Sam. I'm on the phone with your brother."

I gave him a nod, tightening my grip on the test behind my back. I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell him at first. But I didn't understand why I wouldn't. He needed to know. It was just as important to him as it was to me.

"Do you have a moment?" I asked, unsure if the call was work-related or just random.

"Your brother was bored," he said with a shrug. "I should have let it go to voicemail because it's been over an hour. He's been rambling about different things. I honestly stopped listening after he brought up losing his favorite pen."

He glanced at his phone. "You know your sister just arrived, and I need to spend time with her. I'll talk to you later." He ended the line before my brother could argue, and I half smiled at him.

"You know he's going to call you again. But it will be to chew you out for hanging up on him."

Jay nodded. "I'm aware, so you have about five minutes. Did you need something?"

I swallowed, walked over to him, and pulled the pregnancy test free. I held it out and showed him. Jay's eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open slightly.

I pulled my hands back, twirling my fingers together nervously.

Jay looked at me and smiled. "That's great, Sam."

I gave him a nod, and his smile slipped. "Why do you look like you want to vomit?"

Because I did, but for an entirely different reason now. There were so many questions that filled my head. Was this all he wanted? Was Jay going to change now that I was pregnant? Would he end the marriage now that he had what he wanted?

He got up walking towards me. "Sam, what's wrong?"

I felt tears build up. "It happened quickly…It just...surprised me."

Jay nodded. "Yeah, but we weren't exactly being careful either."

"I know that…I just… I'm nervous. I mean, being a parent changes a lot."

Jay smiled again, reaching out forward to me. He rubbed his hands on my arms. "We got this. We've come a long way in a short time already. We can manage this."

My shoulders only relaxed for a split second before my vision suddenly changed. I was no longer talking to Jay.

I was standing in a random house watching a woman vomit into the toilet. Red splattered the rim as she shook, tumbling to the ground.

I flashed to another woman in the kitchen, and she leaned over the counter, struggling to breathe. She clawed at her throat but lost her baring, tumbling to the ground and turning blue. Another flash, and I was outside; a woman was getting out of her vehicle and paused. Her face went pale as her grip on the car tightened, but she quickly tumbled to the ground.

I watched woman after woman fall. Each is different, but all she-wolves. They hit me quickly, one after another, without a single pause. I felt the urge to vomit with all of the scenes hitting me at once.

And I slammed back into my body. I felt sick and pulled a hand up to my mouth.

"What did you see?" Jay asked, his fingers were painfully tight on my arms now. I quickly shook free, rushing towards the sink in the kitchen. I dry heaved, tightening my fingers on the counter.

This vision was too many, too quickly. I couldn't see the faces very well, but I could sense their fate; I could feel the fear of them. I could see the horror fill their eyes in confusion.

I coughed, trying to pull air into my lungs. Jay came up from behind me, his hand rubbing circles on my back. "Breathe slowly….take a deep breath in through your nose, Sam."

I squeezed my eyes shut, doing exactly that. I inhaled slowly through my nose and exhaled through my mouth. My body shook, and I leaned back, pressing my forehead against the counter.

"Women dying," I said through broken words. Tears broke free, and I couldn't stop them.

Jay's hand paused on my back. "What do you mean?"

"It's got to be the virus….but I saw. A bunch of them are going to die. That doesn’t make sense! How can that happen?"

I didn't know when nor really where since they all slammed into me at once, but it was coming. From what I just saw, the virus wasn't even really here yet. It was just beginning.

Jay's voice shifted into something more caring. "How many? Did you see how many?"

Tears fell free, and I sniffled, shaking my head. I had lost track. I caught maybe the first view, but then it was hundreds. Short snips of each. Fumbling into a fetal position, all in immense pain.

"We can't keep this to ourselves," Jay said, and I could hear him starting to pace. "We have to inform the Council about this."

Which means revealing my magic. The magic, we had no idea what it even was, what I could even do.

I leaned back slightly, and he looked at me, worried now. He walked back over, cupping my face. "Are you okay? This can't be good for the baby."

I nodded my head. Even with a virus going around, I was going to be okay. Our child was going to be fine. I wasn't the one that needed saving.

"It's not me we need to worry about," I said softly. "Our child is perfectly safe in my body, Jay. It's the rest that needs help."

We were leaving the house ten minutes later. Jay had already called the Council, explaining we needed an urgent meeting. I felt the need to vomit, but I suppressed it. It wasn't like I had anything left in my system at this point, anyway.

We arrived, and Jay took my hand as we headed inside. We went to the room where we had the meeting last time. They all looked as I remembered. Old and powerful.

"What is this urgent message you called us here for?" Ralph asked, looking irritated.

Jay went into full explanation. He explained the glass, and us trying to figure out what my magic could do, which I could see would not please the Council.

"So you sat on this news?" one of them snapped angrily. "You knew she had magic, and you didn't tell us!?"

"We didn't want to bring it to your attention until we were entirely sure that Sam possesses the ability."

"What did the vision detail? Did you see each of them?" Jenissa asked, leaning forward. Her hands were knitted together as she looked interested.

I shook my head. "There were hundreds, and they came too quickly to remember the faces."

"When will you get your next one?" another asked.

Another one spoke up angrily. "This is important. You need to think of how you will save these women."

"You don't remember the faces? How do you not remember the faces? Think harder!"

They were all yelling at me, and I felt like I was being stood on. I didn't know how to do anything. I could hardly get control of my gift. How the hell was I going to save women I couldn't even see?

"Enough," Jay snapped. "I told you she had only one vision, and it was just now. They don't just come when you ask. If we had anything else to share, we would. We are giving this to you, so you can figure out what to do, not us."

I glanced at Jay, feeling protected as he stood next to me. The Council all leaned back and muttered to one another.

I felt Jay's hand rest on my lower back as he tugged me closer to him. I held back a smile, feeling cared for.

I never wanted this to end. I didn't want us to go our separate ways when the baby was born. I wanted to stay with him.